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Monster Country Rulebook
Up to date as of September 23, 2012 Live version here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vvrXYNY1nQTjR2RLwtBb0ElqhXx3gK2hrJ18EsFPpJU/edit?pli=1 1.00: Basic Mechanic2.00: Monster Stats 2.10: Battle stats 2.20: Capabilities 2.30: Type Dice 3.00: Using Monsters 3.10: In Battle 3.11: Attacks 3.11a: Effects 3.11b: Drawbacks 3.11c: Weaknesses and Resistances 3.11d: Same Type Attack Bonus 3.11e: Critical Hits 3.12: Defending 3.12a: Reactions 3.12b: Evasion 3.13: Non-Damaging Moves 3.14: Example effects, drawbacks and reactions~ 3.20: Out of Battle 3.30: Burning Dice 3.40: Advantages and Disadvantages 4.00: Determining Monster Stats~4.10: Base Stats & Type Dice4.20: Capabilities4.30: Special Ability5.00: Trainers~6.00: Gaining Experience and leveling~X.00: Appendices X.10: Battle Sequence 1.00: Basic MechanicTo make a check or an attack, you’ll need to roll a number of d6. Each 4, 5 or 6 counts as a success. 2.00: Monster StatsEach stat is rated with a numerical value, usually 1-5. This represents how many dice you roll when using that statistic. Stat Skill Level 0 Magikarp 1 Poor 2 Average for a typical Monster 3 Skilled 4 Worth writing home about! 5 “It’s like my Rattata is in the top percentage of Rattatas!” 6+ Legendary Monsters, Ash’s Pikachu, etc. Unattainable by typical Monsters. 2.10: Battle StatsEach Monster has 6 battle stats HP: The amount of damage a Monster can take before it faints.Ph. Attack: Physical attack prowess. Punching, kicking, scratching and etc. Ph. Defense: Physical defense, resistance against punching, kicking, scratching and etc.Sp. Attack: Special attack, used for zapping, mind-blasting, fire breathing, etc.Sp. Defense: Special defense, to resist zapping, mind-blasting, fire breathing, etc.Speed: Quickness and dexterity, used to determine turn order and to evade attacks. 2.20: CapabilitiesCapabilities represent a Monster’s ability to perform basic, everyday tasks: Running, jumping, climbing trees, etc. Common capabilities include: Strength: Physical power. Pushing, dragging, lifting.Intelligence: Ability to understand complex orders, and to act on it’s ownOverland Speed: Speed on regular terrain. Used for chasing, getting from place to place,Flight: If a Monster has a flight capability of at least 1 it can fly without making a check. For extended flights, difficult maneuvers, fly-by attacks etc. the GM may require you to make a flight check.Burrowing: As flight, but for underground, ya dig?Swimming: Most Monsters can swim on the surface of calm water without making a check, but for difficult dives, to swim for an extended period, or to swim in choppy water the GM may require you to make a check. 2.30: Type DiceType Dice represent a Monster’s elemental powers. A base Monster gets a number of type dice according to their elemental types. For example a Squirtle will have a number of water dicewhile a Zubat will have Poison and Flying dice.. Type Dice can be expended to improve an attack or check. These dice refill after a short rest. Thru leveling, items, special training, or special circumstances, a Monster can gain additional type dice. Any roll made using at least one type die is considered a typed roll: it triggers weakness and resistance, STAB, special abilities, and anything else that refers to a typed roll. 3.00: Using Monsters 3.10: In BattleMonsters take turns performing moves. The Monster with the highest speed goes first, proceeding in descending order. If there is tie, make a speed check and the highest number of successes goes first. 3.11: AttacksTo make an attack, describe the nature of the attack and roll your stat. Every success rolled deals two damage (though your opponent will have a chance to defend.) Optionally, before rolling, you may choose to expend a number of type dice, adding them to your die pool. You can add type dice up to your attack stat, and from one type only.Example: Joel and his Hitmonlee, Kenji, are battling a hiker’s Sandslash on a mountain pass. “Kenji, attack! Use the roundhouse kick we’ve been working on!” A kick is a physical attack and Kenji’s attack stat is 4, so Joel will roll 4 dice. Joel could optionally add some fighting dice to this attack. He decides against it, rolling 4 dice. He rolls 4,5,5 and 2. He rolled 3 successes, meaning this attack is worth 6 damage. 3.11a: EffectsWhen making an attack, you can also declare effects. Effects are special conditions and effects you apply to an attack, such as poisoning an enemy, or lowering their defense.To apply an effect, you’ll need to spend a number of successes. Most effects cost 1 success, though more difficult, severe or game-changing effects, like creating a massive whirlwind or a thunderstorm, may require more. You must declare any effects you wish to add before rolling. Example: On his next turn, Joel tries a different tactic. “Go for a jump-kick! Try to knock Sandslash off the ledge!” The GM decides that this is a two success effect. Joel again rolls 3 successes, two of which are spent to apply the knock-back effect, and the last success deals 2 damage. 3.11b: DrawbacksWhile declaring an attack, you may also add one drawback: a negative consequence or requirement for using the attack. If you do, you add one or more automatic successes to your roll. Some example drawbacks include not being able to attack on your next turn, taking recoil damage, lowering one of your stats, or the move having a special requirement like requiring time to charge up. You can only add one drawback to any one attack. 3.11c: Weaknesses and ResistancesWhen you make a typed attack the monster is weak to, each typed success counts extra. For instance, when making a fire attack against a grass Monster, each success rolled on a type die counts as two. However, a fire attack against a water Monster only counts half the successes. If a Charizard was unfortunate enough to be hit by a Rock attack, each success would count as four! Ouch!Example: Later in the battle, the hiker has switched his Sandslash out for a Graveler. Joel knows rock type Monster are 2x weak to fighting attacks, and makes his move. He rolls his 4 attack dice, and expends 3 fighting dice for a total of 7 dice. His attack dice roll 3, 6, 2, 1, and his fighting dice roll 4, 6 and 1. The two fighting dice that rolled four and six count as two successes each, for a total of 5 successes. 3.11d: Same Type Attack BonusIf you make a typed attack that matches one of the Monster’s types, you get one automatic success.Example: In the example above against the Graveler, since Kenji is a fighting-type Monster he would receive one automatic success for using a fighting typed attack, upping his total to 6. 3.11e: Critical HitsWhen attacking, any 6’s rolled count as an extra success. Example: Continuing the Graveler example, since Joel rolled two sixes, he gets two bonus successes, for a grand total of 8! His attack will do 16 damage, hopefully Graveler has a good defense! 3.12: DefendingWhen attacked, roll a number of dice equal to your defense or special defense, as appropriate. Each success reduces damage taken by 2. Defense and attack are rolled simultaneously.While defending, a Monster may add type dice just like while attacking. You may add a number of dice up to your defense stat.Example: Luckily, Graveler has a defense of 5. He rolls 4 successes, reducing the damage by 8. He takes the remaining 8 damage. 3.12a: ReactionsYou can use a reaction to declare effects at the cost of successes, similar to an effect. For example, a Magneton might electrify it’s body to damage an attacker.Example: Returning to the Kenji jump-attack example, Kenji is poised to deal 2 damage and knock Sandslash off the ledge. Sandslash first gets a chance to defend. He rolls his defense stat of 3, and decides to add 2 Ground dice to better his chances. He also chooses to declare an effect: “Sandslash! Burrow into the ground to anchor yourself!” Unluckily, he only rolls 2 successes. He uses the two successes to negate the knock-back, but still takes 2 damage. 3.12b: EvasionInstead of rolling defense, you may choose to roll evasion. Roll dice equal to your speed, and if you get equal to or more successes than the attack, your opponent misses and you negate the attack. You take no damage and ignore any effects that would have affected you. If you roll less successes than the attack, the evasion check fails and you take the full force of the attack. You can add type dice, but not effects, to evasion rolls. 3.13: Non-Damaging MovesYou can choose to declare a non-damaging move, in order to provide yourself with a buff or inflict an ailment on an opponent. You must declare a non-damaging move and it’s desired effect before rolling. The effect will improve with the number of successes you roll. See example effects below for more information.Example: Marge orders her Ekans to poison the enemy. She declares it as a non-damaging move, and rolls her three dice. She gets one success, which is good enough for the basic poison status effect. If she had rolled three successes, she could inflict a more heavily damaging poison. 3.14: Example effects, drawbacks and reactions Status effect Cost Effect 3.20: Out of BattleOut of battle, a Monster uses it’s capabilities. To test a capability, roll that number of d6s and compare the number of successes to a target number set by the GM. The more difficult the task, the more successes you’ll need. Number of successes Difficulty0 Common1 Standard2 Difficult3 Challenging4 Nearly Impossible 5 Legendary When trying to use elemental power out of combat, you can refer to an applicable Type Die instead of a capability. Roll a number of dice equal to your maximum type dice. This does not expend your type dice, though you may choose to burn (3.30) them after seeing your roll. Examples:-Fearow wants to perform a dangerous flying maneuver in a tight space. The GM decides this is a difficult task, so Fearow needs two successes. His maximum flying dice is three: he rolls three dice but only gets one success. He decides to burn one of those dice, allowing him to succeed. The burned die is unavailable until Fearow visits a Pokecenter.-Scizor wants to chase after the Fearow. Although Scizor is Bug/Steel and does not have any Flying type dice, he can still fly and has the capability Flight 3. He rolls 3 dice.-Frank is in a bind: He’s lost in the forest and his phone battery is dead! Luckily, he has his Pikachu with him: Pikachu tests his Electricity capability, rolling a number of dice equal to his maximum electricity type dice, to try to recharge the phone. 3.30: Burning DiceWhen rolling type dice, after seeing the result, you may choose to burn any number of them. When you do, that die counts as one free success in addition to whatever result it rolled. However, the die does NOT refresh after a short rest, and will not refresh until a Pokecenter visit. 3.40: Advantages and DisadvantagesIt certain situations there may be circumstances that aid or hinder you. For example, attacking a helpless opponent is easier than otherwise, but trying to climb a cliff face while carrying a wounded Monster is difficult. Your GM may wish to give advantage or disadvantage in situations like these. If you have advantage, you add an extra d6 to your die pool, and if you have disadvantage, you remove one (before rolling). 4.00: Determining Monster Stats-Starter monsters get 14 points to distribute between their base stats. You cannot buy above 4. HP is multiplied by 4.Adjust stats up or down as appropriate for difficulty: uninteresting wild monsters may have as little as 11, but legendaries and trainer pokemon may have 16 or more. For gym leader or ‘boss’ monsters, consider increasing the HP multiplier to 5 or 6 to increase survivability. -Starter monsters get 3 type dice split between their elemental types. Again, adjust up or down as appropriate for difficulty. -Starter monsters get 8 points to buy capabilities, again not above 4. -Starter monsters get to choose one special ability, see below for examples. Example monsters:See below for special ability definitions Geodude Meowth KabutoHP: 3(12) HP: 2(8) HP: 3(12)Attack: 3 Attack: 3 Attack: 3Sp. Attack: 1 Sp.Attack 1 Sp.Attack 2Defense: 3 Defense: 2 Defense 3Sp. Defense: 3 Sp. Defense 2 Sp. Defense 2Speed: 1 Speed 4 Speed 1 Type Dice Type Dice Type DiceGround: 3 Normal: 3 Rock: 2 Water: 1Special Ability Special Ability Special AbilitySturdy Fake Out Swift Swim Capabilities Capabilities CapabilitiesClimb: 3 Hoarding: 2 Burrow: 2Intelligence: 1 Intelligence: 4 Stealth: 2Levitate: 1 Night Vision: 2 Swimming: 4Strength: 3 Example Special abilities:Sturdy: Cannot be 1-hit KOd. If you’d be reduced from full HP to zero in one hit, you are left with 1 hp.Fake Out: If you attack first in a battle and deal damage (after defense), your attack also causes the opponent to flinch.Swift Swim: +2 speed while in water. 5.00: TrainersBase stats: 10 points between Tough, Quick, Cool and Smart. no higher than 4.Skills: 6 points, no higher than 2.Feat: one or two?Trainer points: one or two action/fate points per session? 6.00: Gaining Experience and Levelingleaving this for now, for two reasons. One, it should probably be left up to shubert as to how and how fast we level. Second, until we get some playtesting done it’ll be hard to say just how valuable each stat is and how the mechanics really work, and thus how much it should cost to level. that being said, a couple opinions: -i think leveling needs to be fairly slow, as i suspect this system will not scale super well.-i’ve mentioned already that experience costs should be more expensive for ‘out of character’ levels: a snorlax trying to increase speed, or a fire pokemon trying to gain a water die, should be expensive and require some in game reason for it to make sense.-HP increases should probably be free (buy a stat die, get some free HP) or atleast dirt cheap. X.00: AppendicesX.10: Battle Sequence *Highest Speed attacks first *Attacker describes his attack * **Attacker declares effects, drawbacks, or nondamaging attack, if any **Attacker declares number of dice rolled: stat dice + type dice + advantage, if any *Defender describes his defense **Defender declares defense or evasion **Defender declares reactions, if any **Defender declares number of dice rolled: stat + type dice + advantage, if any *Both players roll dice **Attacker totals successes ***Each 4, 5 or 6 rolled, minding weakness and resistance on type dice ***+1 success for each 6 ***+1 for same-type attack bonus **Defender totals successes ***Each 4, 5 or 6 rolled ***+1 success for each 6 **Either player may choose to burn type dice *Results Category:Monster Country Category:Rules